


Masters of Shadow

by Braxdovah



Category: Vampire: The Masquerade, White Wolf
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:54:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23779486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Braxdovah/pseuds/Braxdovah
Summary: Templar Jude is also a wall.





	Masters of Shadow

Jude emerges from the back part of the plane, looks at the rest of the entourage then flops down across two seats and the aisle space between them. He looks every inch an over indulgent rockstar. The P90 and the .45 are placed on his torso and he just waits. 

Lucius will glance back towards the little rockstar, white eyes taking in every inch of the other man. Still drawn and haggard from his experiences, the Lasombra nevertheless manages to retain a sort of pride. His eyes will focus and unfocus for a moment, as he's trying to sort out what he sees and what's real.  
"... This is going to take a bit of getting used to..." He'll mutter aloud, his tone of voice clearly unamused.

“What do you mean?” The husky, whiskey soaked whisper emanates from just to the left of Lucius. “Because if you don’t like me as a Templar, you are welcome to attempt to remove me.” Jude seems completely bored, methodically loading the machine gun’s clip. 

Lucius' reaction to the whispered words isn't at all subtle - the Lasombra will jerk away from the direction of the voice, eyes wide and wild for a moment, fangs bared as shadows gather around him. In that moment, it's quite clear that in his mind's eye, he's elsewhere before with a great force of will he brings himself back under control.  
"Ein, if you do that again, I'll make you regret it..." His words are a warning, heavily accented with his native German. "Und zwei, I have no issue with you as a Templar - I don't make that choice, Cardinal Lennox does."

Jude seems to chuckle and motions the other man closer. “You don’t want me to speak up.” The voice is still low but comes from a point, less surprise inducing, about head high in front of Lucius. “I am not moving, Lennox needs his rest.” 

“You can stop being in the defensive, Templar,” Lucius’ words are cold. “I have no desire to interrupt the Cardinal. You just made a dramatic entrance, I focused on you and got distracted by my newfound way of seeing the world. In the modern vernacular, chill the fuck out.” 

“Come talk to me. I trust you enough, it is the others that were up his ass that have me on edge. It is my job to be an in the way asshole.” He motions once more. “You were there, are there others that need to be dealt with?”

Lucius will pause, considering for a moment before he nods. He'll wearily rise to his feet and make his way nearer, settling into a seat near Jude.  
"I have too much respect for Cardinal Lennox to bother him, we'll say," He nods at Jude. "It's good to see someone making decisions for his well being in a time like this... But to answer your question, yes I was there but... No. The majority of us remained loyal to the Sword, as it should be."

“The name is Jude, btw. Not just Templar that isn’t Yegor.” Jude extends his hand, two of the rings featuring dragons prominently, the artwork up his arms contains a myriad of images, currently focused on angels and sea battles. “Who are you?” Close up, the creak and chime of leather and metal sounds musical, he is clearly young he hasn’t figured out how to remain still. 

He'll take Jude’s hand and shake it - a surprisingly delicate gesture for an otherwise proper man, but the bandages wrapped around each are clearly the reason for it and the accompanying faint scent of vitae around him. Otherwise, however, the pale man is quite still - his statuesque pose one of the few indicators of his age.  
“Lucius Delacourte. An ally of Father Ambrose St. Germaine and Cardinal Lennox.” 

“Nice to meet you. I roll with The Host out of Austin. You know my tie to Lennox.” Jude studies his face intently. “You look like you are coming down hard. Bad trippin?” 

Lucius will utter a short burst of bitter laughter, folding his hands in his lap after the shake.  
“... I think bad trip is an understatement right about now.” 

“Understatement, tell me about it.” Jude is genuinely curious. The young man fishes a flask out of his pocket. “Want a drink?”

Lucius will nod gratefully at the offer of a drink - old or not, he hasn't lost a taste for it.  
“... It's hard to put what we experienced into words, and I am still adjusting to the marks it seems to have left on me,” He explains. “I see the world differently now - wasted, decaying - and I know that can't be the case.”

“Like everything? Or people? Lennox sounded surprise it was me. Like he didn’t recognized me until I spoke.” He passes the flask and then pulls out a second. 

Lucius will take a quick nip from the flask before continuing.  
“People especially. You look... I know you can't really look this way, but you look dead. If I try to envision you alive, I can assume you must be stunning but...” 

Jude frowns and pulls out an ammo case and tools, quickly scoring Lennox’s proper likeness into the metal. “And the image here?” 

Lucius will look it over, and there's a flicker of relief that reflects in his eyes.  
“Ja, that looks like I know he should.” 

Jude scowls, visibly trying to puzzle things out. “The more I hear the more I dislike that shadowlands stuff. Was that the right… gah. Need an audiobook of these ‘higher’ concepts.”

“I can't imagine anyone exactly... Likes the shadowlands shit beyond the Harbingers,” Lucius shakes his head. “It's... Beyond my comprehension, and I say that as part of clan Lasombra.” 

Jude tilts his head, thinking. “I thought your clan was the whole Masters of Shadow and crazy tentacle porn inspiration.” 

Lucius will stare at Jude for a moment, before a burst of laughter escapes him, one strong enough to make him have to brace himself against the arm of his chair.  
“I can’t say I’ve ever heard us called that before!” 

“What? Am I wrong?” Jude seems more amused than questioning and laughs. The rockstar clearly does not feel threatened. “I would ask Lennox but he is rather more formal.” 

Lucius can’t help but smile at last, and when he does his fangs are quite visible.  
“You’re not wrong,” He shakes his head, as if surprised by how much he needed the laugh. “But we’re masters of Shadows and the Abyss, not the Shadowlands...” 

“And the difference is? I might use that as an album name. ‘Masters of Shadow and Abyss’ It flows… I can do some wild cover art with that as well.” Jude leans in. “Don’t eat me. I might make you less strong.” 

Lucius will settle back, becoming still once more, like a statue save for the fact that his lips move as he speaks.  
“The Abyss is nothingness, the void beyond creation. The Shadowlands are, to the best of my understanding, the world of the dead, where ghosts and spirits dwell. And while I innately understand and have mastered one, the other is beyond me.” 

Jude sighs. “So the shadow thing that looked into my soul, demon, abyss or some unholy fuck baby of the two?” 

“What thing that looked into your soul?” Lucius’ expression doesn't change, but his tone of voice reflects a keen interest. 

“Fought these infernalist pieces of shit, then big wonky mirror breaks. Shadowy thing stares into my soul or at least tries to and my inner monster freaks the fuck out.” Jude speaks fairly quickly as if he doesn’t want to linger on the memory. 

“I’d say demonic entity most likely,” Lucius shakes his head. “They’re different than Abyssal entities - they don’t come from the same place either.” 

“How many fucking other places are there? Is there a fairy land too? Or Wonderland?” The musician seems exasperated.

“I could say something about faeries but I think that would break you...” Lucius’ expression is clearly quite amused. 

“Nah, we have one of those alien looking fucks in Austin. We call him Pinhead. He doesn’t like it much, makes him piss and moan about his valuable knowledge.” The words drip with mockery. 

“Those were exactly what I was going to refer to - six foot tall mutant freaks.” 

“He disrespected me and my position in my haven. He so much as flinches against the Code I am going to end him.” Something about the set of Jude’s lips resembles Lennox’s most loyal of ghouls. 

“Praise Caine,” Lucius’ response, while reflexive, is no less lacking in approval for it. “If someone weaker respects you, then continues to cross you, clearly there's an irreconcilable difference.” His pale lips curve into a smile once again. 

“It is not typical for someone with experience to listen to me so openly. Though that has been changing. How do you feel about music?” Jude seems rather relaxed by this point. 

"Wisdom comes from all walks of life within the Sabbat - experience does not mean one can no longer learn things," Lucius shrugs slightly. "Regarding music, I'm very fond of it - seeing it evolve over time has been most intriguing."

“You should come to a show sometime. I have been meaning to take Lennox to a few. Music is good for contemplation. Or so they tell me…I like it for getting my blood pumping.” 

Lucius won’t hold back the short chuckle that escapes him at the idea of Lennox at a show or concert.  
“I would gladly accept even if he weren’t going, but knowing that you’re trying to take him to a modern music show, I wouldn’t miss that for all the world.” 

“If you like music, I will be sure to send you a promo when the new album drops. Hey, that first hellscape we wandered into, Shadowlands right? Thinking about using it as setting for an record.”


End file.
